Boneless foundation garment



May 10, 1938. A. M. RABENSDORF BONELESS FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed March 8, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l In Vania/ A itch/7635 y 1938. A. M. RABENSDORF' BONELESS FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed March 8, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ja/orf All Zia/ways May 10, 1938. A. M. RABENSDORF BONELESS FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed March 8, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 0 M mw fi m @P W V. t H QC I 4.

F/EQS Patented May 10, 1938 BONELESS FOUNDATION GARMENT Alice M. Rabensdorf, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor of one-half to Sidney J. Sternberger, Indianapolis,

Ind.

Application March 8, 1937, Serial No. 129,574

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an undergarment generally designated as a foundation or corset, and has for its primary object the provision in such a garment for slenderizing the figure of the wearer Without cutting in or wrinkling at the waistline at the same time for even distribution and figure control through a concealed waistline and diaphragm reinforcement cooperating with an overlapping abdominal reinforcement which further aids in supplying support to the abdomen, preventing bulging or podding, all without use of boning in any manner or elastic to any major degree particularly in the upper and abdominal. portions. A further feature of the invention is a provision in the underarm section of the garment for excess underarm and shoulder development.

These and other features of the invention will become more apparent to those versed in the 2 art by reference to the following description of one form of the invention which is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a front perspective view of a corset embodying the invention;

Fig. 2, a rear elevation; and

Fig. 3, a developed view of the inside of the upper portion of the corset.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views in the drawings.

The corset is formed exteriorly of some form of clinging material such as rayon, silk, or cotton as desired. This material is cut into the two front panels In and II with the bust supports l2 and i3 respectively inserted in the upper ends. The panels are permanently joined such as by stitching through a small area at M and left separated from there downwardly to form the front, lower laced placket l5, From the junction at M, the upper portions of the panels ill and II are detachably joined by the usual and well known slidable fastener l6, popularly known as a gig per, by pulling upwardly on the slide l1. '1" e lateral edges of the panels Ill and II join respectively through side seams l8 with the side panels l9 and 20 which in turn join through up and down seams with the back panel 2|. The materials of the side and back panels may be the same as that of the front panels I!) and I I. However, the lower portions of the side panels l9 and 2!! are provided with elastic inserts 22 and 23 extending upwardly from the lower ends of the panels to a height substantially that of the front lower placket I5 whereby the opening and closing of the placket through the lacing may be in cooperation with the elasticity of those inserts enabling the snugly fitting lower portion of the garment to be put on and taken off without disturbing the lacing at l5.

The combined lateral width of the two front panels IE3 and II is made to be such as to cover over the front of the figure between lines dropped downwardly from the forward sides of the armpits. Now to each of these panels l0 and II, preferably on the inner face, is applied a roughly triangularly shaped piece of cloth 24 such as muslin or the like which is comparatively nonstretchable. This cloth 24 is applied to have the apex anchored in the side seam ill at a position above the pelvic arch bone, and to have the base of the triangle anchored along the central hem of the panel, whereby the cloth slopes around and upwardly from the side seam I8 centrally to or above the waistline to compress the abdomen but not extending over to compress the ribs, and also around downwardly and forwardly over and down under the abdomen but not opposite so as to compress the bones of the pelvis, and to extend by a narrow width to the lower end of the panela position well down on the thigh below the hip. To complete the reinforcement of the area covered by the cloth 24, it is stitched to the panel by closely spaced lines of stitching of any suitable pattern, herein shown as by the upwardly and downwardly turned stitching leading from a horizontally disposed line, this form being particularly effective as a non-stretchable reinforcement, further aided when the weave in the panel and cloth are angularly disposed to one another.

This reinforced zone covers the abdomen, tying in at the sides and above, and providing support from below, and thus aids in smoothing out the figure contour without producing any bulging or podding.

However, to complete the figure control, a cooperating feature is utilized.

This feature comprises essentially a one piece (may be made of scraps sewed together) belt 25 carried entirely within the garment and there positioned to pass around the waist line of the figure. This belt 25 is provided with widened front ends that are anchored permanently in the front central hems of the panels l0 and H, the ends extending downwardly to lap over (interiorly) substantially the upper half of the vertical distance of the reinforcement 24 without attachment thereto other than along the hem of the panels.

At the outer rear sides of the bust supports, the belt 25 rises vertically upwardly free of the garment to its top edge and is there permanently united under the top finishing hem. 26, the vertical rise being along the line of the seam IS. The belt 25 hangs freely within the garment from this tophem 26 without other attachment thereto, except at the belt ends as above described. The upper ends of the side-panel rear seams terminate in under-arm lacing plackets 21 and 28, the lower ends of which are on a line at the under sides of the bust supports 12 and I3. The belt 25 is split about these plackets and permanently stitched therearound whereby the upper and rear portion of the belt 25 is under the contractible influence of the placket laeings. The under free hanging edge of the belt 25 curves upwardly across the back of the garment to the waist line at the center of the back of the figure, and thus, through the under-arm plackets 2! and 28, control the excess under-arm and shoulder development to prevent podding or rolling of the flesh above the waistline.

Initially, the garment is closed over the figure above the area M by some auxiliary initial fastener to relieve stress on the zipper fastener, herein shown as hooks and eyes 29 and 30, one set 29 at the central portion of the reinforcement 24, and the other set above, near the upper corner of the reinforcement. Then the slide I1 is pulled up to joint the panels In and l I, the front placket l and the under-arm plackets 2'! and 28 being adjusted as to openings required by experimenta tion. The garment is provided with the usual hose supporters 32 along its lower edge. Also, the garment is further provided with a reinforcing fabric strip 3| extending upwardly a short distance from and across the lower end of the rear panel 2!, between the side panels, the fabric being substantially non-stretchable, and further being less in height at its side panel junctures than the height of the elastic inserts 22 and 23, the central portion of the strip 3| being higher than at its ends.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the best form as now known to me, in minute detail, it is obvious that structural changes such as in materials, stitching, and the like, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to that precise form except as may be required by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a boneless foundation garment, a nonstretchable belt attached to the upper rear part of the garment and hanging freely therefrom and terminating above the waist line, said belt extending around forwardly by a widening portion, the lower part of which forward portion is below the waist line, said garment having a major opening centrally down the garment front, the forward ends of said belt being anchored in the garment portions adjacent said opening, and a front nonstretchable reenforcement tapering outwardly from the front central line of the garment both downwardly and upwardly over the abdomen to points on the respective sides of the garment below the waist line, and the major portion of said reenforcement being positioned to cover that area between the ribs and pelvic bones and being in overlapping relation by its upper part with at .least lower parts of said belt front ends.

2. A boneless foundation garment, a nonstretchable belt attached to the upper rear part of the garment and hanging freely therefrom, said belt extending around forwardly by widening portion over the waist line, said garment having a major opening centrally down the garment front, the forward ends of said belt being anchored in the garment portions adjacent said opening, and a front non-stretchable abdominal reenforcement tapering from the front central line of the garment both sides to substantially point in the sides of the garment below the waist line, the upper portions of said reenforcement being in overlapping relation with at least lower parts of said beltfront ends, said reenforcement consisting of a series of closely spaced stitching diagonally extending above and below a horizontal line between said points and toward said center line over the entire area of the reenforcement, and a non-stretchable fabric under the garment over said reenforcement area secured thereto by said stitching.

3. In a boneless foundation garment, a nonstretchable belt attached to the upper rear part of the garment and hanging freely therefrom, said belt extending around forwardly by a widening portion over the waist line and extending around under and up between the bust areas of the garment, said garment having a major opening centrally down the garment front, the forward ends of said belt being anchored in the garment portions adjacent said opening, and a front non-stretchable abdominal reenforcement tapering from the front central line of the garment both sides to substantially point in the sides of the garment below the waist line, the upper portions of said reenforcement being in .overlapping relation with at least lower parts of said belt front ends, said reenforcement consisting of a series of closely spaced stitching diagonally extending above and below a horizontal line between said points and toward said central line over the entire area of the reenforcement, and a nonstretchable fabric under the garment over said reenforcement area secured thereto by said stitching.

ALICE M. RABENSDORF.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No., 2,117,105. May- 10, 1958.

ALICE M. RABENSDORF It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: In the grant line 15, the name of the assignee of one-half interest was erroneously written and printed as Sidney J. Stevenberger whereas said name should have been written and printed as Sidney J, Sternberger; and thatthe said Letters Patent should be read with. this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.,

Signed and sealed this 28th day of June, A, D. 19380 Henry Van Arsdale Acting Commissioner of Patentso (Seal) 

